Dancing Chaos
by Lady In Shadows
Summary: Raistlen's life, from her creation to present day. Rated for language, violence, and some suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own champions online, or the Valori. Champions belongs to Cryptic, and the Valori to Phil. I am merely borrowing. Sliakner and the Trio, however, are mine.

Note from the Shadows: This story tells of Raistlen's life before she arrived in Millenium City, and several key moments from that point onwards. Obviously, I can't write everything that happened in her 17,000 year long life, but I can tell the important bits. Please, come read, enjoy, and leave a review if you'd like. You'll be seeing a lot of the Trio in this story, as well.

Warning: There *is* mention of attempted rape in this chapter. Nothing actually happens, but if that could be a trigger, please be cautious.

**[Chapter One: From Three to One]**

_Today was a good day to be Shadow Dancer. All was quiet in her corner of the universe, her cousins resting after their last Game. And, oh, what a fun one that had been! How clever of Shadow Lady, to split the silly little dragonlings into separate clans. Indeed, today was a highly enjoyable day for young Shadow Dancer. She smiled as her helm and armor faded, replaced with a blindfold and elegant ball gown. She shut her eyes, casting her senses out into the darkness._

Plink._ What was this? A ripple, in the shadows, creating a song of discord, the inky blackness furling in waves around a planet untouched by the game. Overcome by curiosity, Shadow Dancer sank into the ripple for a closer look._

"Get out of my house!" Keyna screamed at the top of her lungs, backing up into her bedroom. Her hands shook so much that dirt spilled from the flower pot she held. The intruder just advanced, eyes glinting wickedly. "I-I mean it! Out!" He came closer, pinning her against the door.

_"That's... Interesting.." Dancer muttered, watching them for a moment. "But attempted rape alone isn't enough to cause this sort of ripple..." She sank back into the darkness._

Julin the nature spirit ran for her life, as fast as she could, not daring to look over her shoulder at the chaos demon tailing her. In she fled to home of a woman many spirits of nature had come to consider a friend. She stopped, staring in horror at the scene before her, then felt clawed hands reaching for her and latching onto her shoulder. "Forgive me, Keyna..." she whispered, bursting forward and melding with the woman- and bringing to demon with her.

_"Oh dear darkness..." Dancer whispered as the ripples changed to a wave._

The scream that followed would stick in the minds of all who heard it for all eternity, so unearthly was it. Keyna's attacker stumbled backwards, a scream catching in his own throat as he watched the woman. Her blood seemed to boil beneath her skin, as her figure changed. Her hair, normally held in a ponytail, sprung loose, leaving a snarled mess. Her olive brown skin darkened to the purest of blacks, splots of red that looked disturbingly like blood appearing on the skin. Her clothes were shredded as her body grew, her figure changing. Two horns curled out from her head, vines piercing through the flesh to grow around the woman. Two on her back stuck up, with fanged heads that snapped at the man.

The... Creature turned her gaze towards the man, and stalked forward, vines grabbing him before he could flee, piercing into him. Halfway in, they formed a u-shaped bend, one on either of his side, and pierced as they came back out a good foot above their entry point. Once hooked, the being stepped forward, caressing the man's face with one clawed hand.

She grinned sadistically, red eyes glinting as the vines slowly pulled in opposite directions. The man's scream rang out through the normally peaceful village, causing many to come to investigate. Less then two hours later, the town was a blazing ruin, the beast stalking out.

_Dancer watched silently as the beast lay a trail of wreckage across the planet, killing all in her path, then followed her trail through the darkness with her mind as the being traveled onto the next planet. The beast left a song of disharmony in her trail wherever she went, and Dancer followed easily, watching as red ripples of pain followed the beast's trail, all the while wondering how to soothe the being's pain, and bring the three minds to harmony._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own champions online. Champions belongs to Cryptic. I am merely borrowing. Sliakner and the Trio, however, are mine.

Note from the Shadows: Welcome back! Thought I was gone? Naaaah, I don't leave -that- easily.

[Chapter Two: Peace From Pain]

_Time passed. Days turned to months, months to years, years to decades. It made no difference to a being such as Shadow Dancer, time held no meaning to her. She followed the being for ages, all the while watching. Ripples filled the shadows, a discordant song of chaos, of violence and fear. And still, Shadow Dancer did nothing._

_ She planned. Watched the beast, searching for the cause of it's madness. And when she found it? She could have laughed at how simple it was, how obvious. Three souls, so different, were never meant to inhabit one mind. The new being, the childling- always a chilldilng, no more sense then a newborn- must have been driven mad by the pain. And pain- a demons terrain. The demons soul must have taken control- explaining all this carnage, now that she thought about it. It made sense._

_More time passed. Shadow Dancer continued to follow the beast, as she plotted. Over the ages, the plot began to take shape, in the form of a single necklace. Just a single, large quartz crystal, fitting perfectly in the palms of two cupped hands placed together, sitting in a band of metal, enchanted with a few simple spells. The first- a pain blocker, letting the pain of three souls, fade. The second- a spell of alertness, only one active at a time, but three keyed into the necklace- one for each soul. Finally, two sleep spells, one for each inactive souls. If all went well, Shadow Dancer would worry no longer._

The beast brought her fingers to her lips, forked tongue darting out and across the tips, causing her to hum softly in satisfaction, a look of sensual pleasure crossing her features. Purples, gooey blood came away with her tongue, and she looked around at her days work, at the ruins of this city. Glowing red eyes twinkled in amusement, and she flicked her spiked tail, eyes shutting for but an instant as she yawned.

In that instant, everything changed. A heavy weight settled around her neck, and pain, like molten glass, shot through her veins, pulling a scream of pure agony from her lips as her back arched, her features shifting. Her tail melted back into her body, and sparkling tears came to her eyes as they too changed, purple swirls replacing red irises. The flecks of light on her body shifted, from red to purple, green, blue, and white. Spikes melted into thick, flecked vines with flowers growing from them, hair lying flat for the first time as it shifted from blood red, to a deep burgundy. Horns turned to a crown of golden leaves, ornamented by a single, blue flower.

When the process finished, the woman collapsed in a heap, whimpering with pain as magic turned itself on her very blood, shifting it, warping it. She shut her eyes, everything darkening- and, for the first time in over a millennia, she slept.

_Shadow Dancer looked over the sleeping woman, materializing. She knelt, gently gathering her into her arms, and pressing a gentle kiss against the woman's forehead, as the woman continued to shake and shudder in pain. "Sleep. Pain shall fade, when you awake."_


End file.
